Shock-absorbing means



Oct. 21,1925. 1,555,750

M. c. E. MULOT snocx assonsme mums Filed 09t- 13. 1922 2 Shuts-Sheet 1 5 M. c. E. MULOT 1558350 SHOCK ABSORBING "BANS med Oct. 13. 1922 z-snmn-snm a site the master lamina.

Patented @ct. 27, 1925.,

MARGEL CHARLES ERNEST MULOT, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

SHOCK-ABSORBING MEANS.

Application filed October 13, 1922. Serial No. 594,232.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, Manonn CHARLES ERNEST MULo'r, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at Paris, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shock-Absorbing Means, of which the following is a specification.

more simple in construction, less bulky, re-

quire less attention and are cheaper than the older constructions.

According to the invention, I employ laminated springs of the usual character for connecting the two bodies, and the essential feature of the invention consists in providing as the shock absorbing means, beyond the point of attachment oi? each spring, stirrup like devices attached either to the principal or master lamina or to a flexible band system applied along the edges of the lamina-3, that is to say at the-portion oppo-- These stirrups are so arranged that they bear on the outer surface of the whole device opposite to their point of attachment, with a pressure which is so determined that a proportion ate damping or shock absorbing action takes place at the band system. Hence when the oscillating bodies have approached each other and tend to separate, the proportionate damping action is exerted, as the pressure of the stirrups reaches the maximum when the oscillating bodies have come to the position of rest.

The invention also comprises certain constructional details which are preferably utilized in combination, and which will be nore fully described hereafter.

Further, it includes certain COIlSblllttlmlfll embodiments and in particular a construction adapted for use in connectlon with vehicles.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, but it is to be pointed out that the description and drawings are given merely by way of example.

Fig. 1 shows in side elevation, with portions in section, a suspension spring of the lamina type for vehicles, carried by the axle thereof and provided with shock absorbing or damping means constructed according to one constructional form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the said device.

Fig. 3 shows in side elevation one of the ends of a similar spring, the shock absorbing or damping means of which is provided by another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. at shows in side elevation the same shock absorbing means, the scale of the drawin being larger.

Fig. 0 is a section on 55 Fig. 4.

The drawing illustrates the applications of the, invention to the front portion of a vehicle for the purpose of restraining the oscillations of the suspended portion, and the construction is substantially as followsz- As regards the vehicle itself, apart from the suspension system and shock absorbing means, this may be of any ordinary con struction. i

As regards the suspension and shock absorbing means, these are combined, as has already been proposed, but the particular means or method Dill combining them is more advantageous and more eiticient than has previously been the case.

The suspension system consists oi lamina-ted springs, which may be of the usual type, and are of appropriate dimensions for carrying the suspended portions of the vehicle.

Each oi? these springs comprises, in the customary manner, a. principal or master lamina a, other or ordinary laminae Z2, and retaining stirrups or straps c, by means of? which the springs are attached to the cor responding axle (Z of the vehicle.

ll. is assumed, in what follows, that the parts are of the usual type, as shown in the drawing, but it is to be understood that the invention is applicable to other arrangements of laminated springs.

In constructing the shock absorbing arrangement, according to the invention, I provide a flexible band 6, which may be advantageously associated with another band f of bendable and compressible material, at tached thereto. The materials should have considerable resistance and a high co-eiiicient of friction. The material'generally known as ferrodo is suitable for the band 7 as such material is bendable and slightly compressible. This ferrodo is a combination of asbestos and metal wire or gauze, audit is slightly compressible.

The whole device consisting of the resilient and compressible bands "is adapted to be attached by means of bands of terrodo alon the lower portion of the laminated spring, and is held at the centre by the bolt 1 which is the usual bolt for attaching together the various laminae of the spring.

I also provide an appropriate number of stirrup shaped fittings. These may, for in stance, consist of U shaped pieces h, the ends of which are connected together by a system oi bars. Thus the ends of each stirrup it may be connected by a cylindrical rod 2' preferably inserted into a roller j which can turn around its own'axis. Each rod 2' may be permanently connected as shown in Figs. 4C and 501 it'may be removable- For this purpose it can be, as shown in l and 2, externally threaded at its ends'and held in place in the arms ofthe 'U shaped fittings by nuts 2' screwed on to the ends.

Each of these fittings is so constructed that it may be connected to the spring by attaching it to theouter face-of "the band 6, of the inner face of the middle portion. ln theembodiment shown in Figs. '1 and 2 the middle part of each fitting or stirrup is connected to bande. In the embodiment shown 'in'FigsA: and 5, each stirrup it has an inner bracket or guide 73 which is adjustable and is held and clamped in position by sctsorew h. It is to be noted that stirrups 71 are inclined to the laminae, but this is not essential.

If the parts are in proper position, the fittings h (Figs. land 2) or the brackets is are 5) embrace, without lateral friction, the corresponding portion of i the spring. The arrangement is such thatwhen the springs are placed in position in the vehicle and the system is in a. state of rest, the said devices exert pressure on the :outer surface of the master'spring. This produces substantial friction'between the laminae of the springs. As shown in Figs. 3 and .4- the compressible member f may be located only on the outer parts of the lamina e. and the compressible member may taper ing said rebound.

from the outer portion of said lamina to ward the central part of the spring. This construction could be readily secured by providing a supplemental blade or lamina for the'end of the-spring, to which the compressible band could be connected, irrespective of the position of the stirrups hi. As

shown in Fig. 3, the ends of the secondary laminae may form a continuous tapering line. "The ferrodo of which the coinpressible member a is made is an asbestos and wire fabric.

It will be noted that the spring, it it is considered as being composed'of all the blades or laminae is of greatest thickness at the middle portion thereof. Each half of the springmay be considered as having a wedge shape.

It will also be notedthat iftheaxle d is moved away from the body of the vehicle, as for example when the down-wardslope of a depression in the road is encountered that the roller 11 of each stirrup 7L tends'to have a relative inward movement with respect to the master lamina a. Thee-fleet is the same as though it were attempted to force a greater cross-section ofthe wedge shaped spring through each stirrup h. The result of this is to compress the com-pressiblefband 7*, thereby causing a very rapidly growing elastic reaction, and increasing the pressure between the laminae 0f the spring. Thus a very rapidly increasing braking effect 1s realized which damps or restrains the oscib lations of the spring towards the unloaded position, which is very desirable. lVhen the vehicle encounters the upward slope-of adeipression or a rise in theroad,"tl1en each lamina and the band e are bent-so as to correspond to a position otincreased-load. Thenthe free end of-each stirrup hi travels any case to decreasethe pressure between the variousglamina-i oi the spring so that no damping eiiect exists on thisoccasion, 'which is desirable. However, upon the rebound which usually occurs when the body of the vehicle tends to move upwardly too ifar with respect to the axle, the braking or damping eitect is again gradually applied, thus brak- As betore stated, when the spring 1s 111 its normal position the parts are so arranged that the rollers i are forced against the lamina (a with substantial pressure. :Each stirrup h 'is firmly connected to the band 6 by some permanent means, as an' the embodimentsshownin Figs. 1 to and the initial pressure or compression oi the compressibleband may be regulated by a set screw 71 as shown in Figs. 3-5. Of course, this pressure could be regulated by means equivalent to a set screw, such as a spring or other suitable means. When the spring is bent, the stirrup 7b is not free to turn with respect to that portion of the bottom of the spring which is directly adjacent thereto, and hence it may be stated that the stirrup h is rigidly fastened to the adjacent portion of the band 6 so that when the curvature of the band 6 is increased, the free ends of each of the stirrups it connected thereto are compelled to move inwardly, that is, towards the axle (Z.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention but it is clear that numerous changes and omissions could be made without departing from its spirit.

It will be noted that each stirrup together with its roller forms in effect an annular member connectedto the spring and adapted to embrace the wedge shaped system of laminae thereof and to cause said laminae to be pressed together when the said spring is in its normal position, and that a part of the said annular member is so connected to the spring system that its free end is adapted to partake of an inward movement when the. spring is distended. The somewhat compressible element (ferrodo) may taper from the outward end of the band 6 to the center thereof, this case being shown in Figures 3 and 4.

It is obvious that one or more of the stirrups it can be employed in combination with the spring.

The position of the springs when the body of vehicle is mounted upon the springs of the chassis and the car stationary or traveling on a smooth road, may be considered as the position of normal load.

I claim 1. A leaf spring comprising a series of laminae of different lengths, means for holding said laminae together, said laminae being so arranged that said spring has a portion of a wedge shape, the said spring including a relatively compressible portion and annular means connected to the said spring and adapted to embrace the laminae thereof and to press them together, the said annular means being inclined to the longitudinal axis of the said spring when the said spring is in its normal position and being so connected to the said spring that said means are adapted to partake of a turning movement when the said spring is distorted from its normal position, said annular means being adapted to increase the compression of said compressible portion when their angle to the longitudinal axis of. said spring is increased, said annular means being rigidly connected to the lower part of said spring.

2. In combination with a leaf spring having a series of laminae, pressure means adapted to cause the said laminae to be pres'ed together so as to produce a frictional efioct, the said pressure means being adapted to cause the pressure with which the said leaves are pressed together to vary with the curvature of the said leaves, said pressure means being rigidly connected to the lower part of said spring.

A device according to claim 2 in which a bendable and compressible member forms part of the spring structure.

4:. A device according to claim 2 in which the force with which the said leaves are pressed together is adapted to be diminished as the curvature of the laminae is diminished, and to increase as the curvature of the laminae is increased.

5. In combination with a leaf spring having a series of laminae of varying length so that said spring has a relatively thick portion and a relatively thin portion, a series of turnable pressure members adapted to cause the said laminin to be pressed together and produce a frictional effect, the said pressure members being inclined towards the thin portion of the said spring, when the said spring is in normal position, said pressure members being rigidly connected to the lower part of said spring.

6. In combination with a leaf spring having a series of laminae of varying length so that said spring has a relatively thick portion and a relatlvely thln portion, a bendable and compressible member associated with the said laminae, a series of turnablc pressure members connected to the said spring, the said pressure members being adapted to force the said laminae against each other to produce a frictional effect, the said pressure members being of such contour that the said compressible member is under compression when the spring is in its normal position whereby the said pressure members then act to press the said laminae against each other, the said pressure members being inclined away from the relatively thick portion of the spring and being rigidly connected to the lower part of said spring.

7. In combination with a leaf spring having a series of lamina-i, an outer member adapted to encircle said spring at a portion thereof, and rigidly connected to the lower part of said springs, an inner movable member mounted on' said outer member, and means adapted to relatively actuate said members.

8. In combination with a leaf spring having a series of laminae, an outer member adapted to encircle said spring at a portion thereof, an inner movable member mounted within said outer member, the bottom of said inner movable member being adapted to contact with the bottom of the said spring, and means adapted to move said inner member with respect to said outer member so as to the said spring.

' 9. In combination with a leaf spring having a series of laminae, an outer stirrup member adapted to encircle said spring at a portion thereof, an inner member-morably mounted in said outer member, and a set screw operatively connected with said outer member and having its point adapted to abut said inner member.

10. In combination w th a leaf spring-having a series of laminae said laminae being so arranged that said spring has va portioniof a Wedge-shape, a friction strip located at the bottom of the said laminae and a pluralityof annular pressure members having their bottoms rigidly connected-t0 the saidstrip and having their vtops adapted to contact with the top of the said spring, the said annular members bemg mclined away Irom the thickest portionof the said spring.

11. A leaf spring comprising a series of laminae of different lengths, a friction strip forming part of the said spring, means for holding the said laminae and said friction strip together, the said laminae beingso ,arranged that said spring has a portioirof la wedge-shape, and a plurality of annular compression members connected to .the said spring and adapted to embrace the laminae thereof and to press them together and to 4 tion. vand being rigidly connected to the lower part of the said spring, thesaid annular compression :members being of suclr dimensions that they are adapted to compress the said strip when the springis lllgllZS nora mal position.

In "testimony whereof I havethereuntoset my hand.

MARCEL CHARLESJERNEST MULOT. 

